Cleveland the Beautiful

Cleveland the BeautifulHeather Tunstall

Cleveland has a lot of natural and man-made beauty, but adding a little more and sprucing up what we already have makes our city even more gorgeous. Some will be temporary, but most are permanent enhancements for our city to enjoy long after the Republican National Convention leaves town. Here are just some of the efforts that have taken place or will be completed before the Convention.

Cleveland script signs
Who doesn't love a photo op? Three permanent Cleveland script signs are being installed around the city with postcard-perfect backdrops. The first sign was installed on Tuesday, June 21st at Edgewater Park. The remaining two signs will be installed before July 1st at the Abbey Road overlook in Tremont and North Coast Harbor in Downtown Cleveland. Grab your friends, your kids, your neighbors or a friendly stranger and snap a selfie -- don't forget to tag it #ThisisCLE and #CLE2016.

Planters
Stop and smell the flowers and enjoy the extra splash of color that the 135 new planters bring to our region. The planters, made possible by a generous donation from The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company and placed by Petitti, are being installed to welcome visitors in Downtown Cleveland on East 6th St. and East 9th St., at Burke Lakefront Airport, at Cuyahoga County Airport and at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. Following the Republican National Convention, these planters will be donated to neighborhoods in and around Cleveland.

Garden planting
Approximately 120 volunteers participated in the Beautification Volunteer Day at Willard Park, Ohio City and Shaker Square on Tuesday, May 31. The volunteers worked hard planting gardens and touching up park areas to welcome visitors with vibrant landscapes. Materials were donated by The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company.

Pole banners
As you go about your day in Downtown Cleveland or University Circle, look up and see your fellow Clevelanders alongside approximately 500 street pole banners, welcoming visitors through our We The People campaign. Fifty area residents adorn the banners, showing visitors who we are and welcoming them with a friendly smile.

Unconventional knowledge
Did you know that Superman was created in Cleveland? Or that The Arcade was one of the first indoor shopping centers in the U.S.? Now residents and visitors alike will learn fun facts about Cleveland through large format banners on various Downtown buildings and storefront windows through our Unconventional Knowledge campaign. Take a stroll down Euclid Ave. or East 9th to see for yourself.

Downtown visuals
It's the little things sometimes that make a huge difference. To be a beautiful city, we have to look at things like sidewalks, parking lot edges, crosswalks and street lights. Efforts are underway to make sure that the sights that residents, workers and visitors see as they walk Downtown are as up-to-snuff as possible. A huge effort is underway: sidewalks are being smoothed, utility poles and streetlights are being fixed, streets are being repaved, and landscapes are being manicured. About 275 new trees will enhance the ambiance Downtown. These are all efforts that will bring benefit to our city long after the Convention.

Art works
There are many, many pieces of artwork in and around the city that are being installed or created, but three major projects that will be completed before the Convention will permanently enhance the city.

The Rock Box project -- a collaborative effort between Destination Cleveland, LAND Studio, and local artist Mark Reigelman -- pays tribute to our rockin' roots by lining East 9th St. (a.k.a., Rock and Roll Blvd.) with large custom speakers. They aren't just pretty to look at, though: the speakers also play the iconic music of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees at the top of each hour.

The Inter | Urban Red Line Public Art Project includes a dozen new outdoor art installations lining the Red Line RTA train route, which travels from Cleveland Hopkins Airport to Downtown. The project is funded by a grant from the Cleveland Foundation as well as the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Industry.

The Cracking Art project includes a temporary installation of brightly colored animals hanging out in places such as the Cleveland Public Library. Meerkats, snails, wolves and swallows are already decorating outdoor spaces, with more expected in the future.

Find your way
You may have seen the signs with maps on them around Downtown that help pedestrians find their way. If you've been Downtown recently, you may have noticed that they've gotten a new look, and there are more of them. Fifty-five signs have been updated to be more consistent, more user-friendly and more visually appealing to make it easy for people to find their way around the city's districts. These are permanent installations that will make walking around to Downtown's many attractions and interest points a breeze.

Clean it up!
More efforts are underway, and the Cleveland 2016 Host Committee is still looking for volunteers for remaining beautification efforts, including wrapping twinkle-lights around Downtown poles and trees, and cleaning up area roadways and train routes. Click here to see previous cleanup and lighting efforts that have taken place as well as how you can volunteer for the remaining opportunities. But hurry: time is limited!

Want more opportunities to volunteer with the Cleveland 2016 Host Committee as an ambassador to the city? Visit www.2016cle.com/volunteer.